You have probably heard horror stories about the renovation industry and disgruntled homeowners having to fork out even more money to repair the shoddy workmanship. News like these is prevalent and unfortunate homeowners are usually left with little avenue for redress but to vent their frustration on the internet. Such rampant negative business practices give all of us legit businesses a bad name.
Here are 3 tell tale signs that you are about to get into a bad deal.
- Lowest Cost
Who doesn’t love a good deal? The problem with deals too good to be true is that it usually isn’t. The marketplace is extremely competitive with profit margins constantly being reduced. As professionals, we immediately know something is amiss when the price quoted by a competitor is remarkably lower. This could only mean one thing – cost cutting is going to happen where customers can’t see. On the onset, you may think you have gotten a good deal, but when the faults start to appear in the months that follow, the contractor is uncontactable, and customers have to fork out another round of money for repairs.
- Contractor or Designer
Designers by virtue of their expertise and effort that comes from project management come with a slightly higher price tag than a contractor. You can think of an interior designer as the architect of the building. Who would you trust to handle the integrity of your renovation works? A designer know what to look out for, which measurement works, and where to lay cables and how many light points is required, etc. For customers who may not be aware of the intricacies that goes in the planning, it’s easy to fall prey to contractors who make bold promises just to close a deal.
- Attractive Package Deals
The way interior designers help you save cost is by providing you a template design with pre-measured fittings. That sounds reasonable doesn’t it? After all, most HDB have similar layout and you stand to gain some savings for using a common design. This would be fine if you have very simple requirements and aren’t the type to sweat a little misalignment or gaps in between fixtures. The thing about design is that, it’s the little things that make the difference. A good design is supposed to make you feel at ease, unconsciously. A badly designed room tends to make the occupant uneasy. And should you request for any changes to the package, that’s when the cost starts getting exorbitant.
If you still unsure about the deal you’re getting, come talk to us and let us help you keep an eye out for renovation pitfalls.